9 easy ways to treat chest congestion at home

Chest congestion can be extremely discomforting. If not treated in time, it can lead to severe infections in the respiratory tract. A person suffering from congested chest may most commonly experience pain in chest or throat, build-up of phlegm, making the chest feel really heavy. Extreme cases can even make swallowing of food difficult.

Since ages, Indian households rely on home remedies to cure such common ailments. Apart from treating health issues, home remedies have a number of health benefits. We have listed a few common yet effective remedies that can help you cure congested chest at home:

DRINK HONEY AND LEMON JUICE: Add honey and lemon juice in a glass of hot water and drink this concoction for at least 2-3 times a day. Being a natural decongestant, honey soothes throat and chest and lemon contains vitamin C which helps in boosting immunity.

WARM MILK: Adding honey, turmeric and black pepper to milk works on chest and cold infections. Turmeric has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that helps in killing bacteria and black pepper aids digestion and relieves cough and cold. Drink this concoction 2 times a day.

DRINK WARM WATER: Not only recommended by many health experts, drinking hot water relaxes throat and gradually heals chest congestion. Drinking hot water helps in dissolving mucus in respiratory tract and relieves congested chest.

GARGLE WITH HOT WATER: This home remedy to treat congested chest and infected throat is one of the highly trusted ones. Add a half tablespoon of salt in a glass of hot water and gargle for 1-2 minutes. You can gargle for at least 3- 4 times a day. Spit the water and avoid swallowing it.

DRINK TEA: Brew a cup of ginger, peppermint, chamomile or rosemary tea to effectively treat congested chest. Instead of sugar, add honey to get additional benefit. If you are not a tea lover, then just chew ginger in raw form.

STEAM: Inhaling steam by adding eucalyptus oil in water is a great way to get rid of chest congestion. Take deep breaths and inhale steam. You will immediately get relief from stuffy nose and congested chest. Eucalyptus oil contains analgesic properties and antibacterial properties that ease up chest congestion.

BLACK COFFEE: Though drinking black coffee may provide temporary relief but it helps in dissolving mucus. You should not drink more than 2 cups as caffeine in excess is not good for your health.

TURMERIC: Add a pinch of turmeric in hot water and gargle. As turmeric is loaded with an active compound referred to as curcumin, it helps in dissolving mucus. It also relieves chest congestion and its healing properties kills bacteria and treats cough and cold.

ONION EXTRACT: You may not like its bitter taste but this remedy is considered as one of the best remedies to treat congested chest. Onion has quercetin which eradicates mucus and also prevents further build-up of mucus. As onion contains antimicrobial properties, it also prevents infections. Extract onion juice and mix it with lemon juice, honey and water. Heat this mixture and drink the concoction warm. Drink this mixture 3-4 times a day.

Disclaimer: These home remedies are generic in nature. Please consult an expert before trying them.